First Trackday - Burning Questions!
Discussion
Hi guys, drive a Clio 182 and got my first track day(open pit) on 10th August but have a couple of questions;
1) What tyre tread would you guys say is ideal for a trackday as my fronts will probably need changing in a few months, and I know that fresh tyres are not a good idea to take on track? If I got new ones now would they have enough time to "scrub in" for the track day?
2) I will be taking a jack, a few basic tools and some oil with me - where do people normally leave their things while on track, is there a safe storage place or is it just a case of leaving anywhere around the pit area?
Any help would be much appreciated!
Ross
1) What tyre tread would you guys say is ideal for a trackday as my fronts will probably need changing in a few months, and I know that fresh tyres are not a good idea to take on track? If I got new ones now would they have enough time to "scrub in" for the track day?
2) I will be taking a jack, a few basic tools and some oil with me - where do people normally leave their things while on track, is there a safe storage place or is it just a case of leaving anywhere around the pit area?
Any help would be much appreciated!
Ross
New and scrubbed would be fine Ross, especially given the weather at the moment! Ideal would probably be to keep the old ones on a set of wheels so you can finish them off if it's dry and have the new ones on wheels to use if it's wet/ to get you home if the old ones are mullered!
Most people leave kit in garages or by support vehicles in the paddock, thefts are fairly rare but anything can happen. If you've got mates with you they can keep an eye on things or if you get chatting to whoever you are parking by then you can all watch out for each others kit.
Which circuit are you going to?
Most people leave kit in garages or by support vehicles in the paddock, thefts are fairly rare but anything can happen. If you've got mates with you they can keep an eye on things or if you get chatting to whoever you are parking by then you can all watch out for each others kit.
Which circuit are you going to?
Thanks for the reply Steve. The problem is I will only have one set of wheels initially (likely to get a second set in the future) so will drive there and back on the tyres I will use on track.
I was thinking if I get two new tyres fitted and put them on the back and move the already few thousand mile old rears on the front this would be better? Im likely to do around a few 100 miles before the trackday on the new tyres so would this be sufficient?
Im doing a half day session at Brands Hatch, its only 20 minutes away so a good starting point I think.
I was thinking if I get two new tyres fitted and put them on the back and move the already few thousand mile old rears on the front this would be better? Im likely to do around a few 100 miles before the trackday on the new tyres so would this be sufficient?
Im doing a half day session at Brands Hatch, its only 20 minutes away so a good starting point I think.
Hi
Lots of folks use either a beach / fishing shelter, or one of those pop up tent things - empty everything out of the car into it including the spare wheel and the stuff loose in the boot we all drag around with us for starters!
Not only does it weigh more than you think but if, heaven forbid, you had a shunt the last thing you want is stuff flying around inside the car, i know a bloke who broke his toe when the removable stereo detached itself at the wrong moment..
Lots of folks use either a beach / fishing shelter, or one of those pop up tent things - empty everything out of the car into it including the spare wheel and the stuff loose in the boot we all drag around with us for starters!
Not only does it weigh more than you think but if, heaven forbid, you had a shunt the last thing you want is stuff flying around inside the car, i know a bloke who broke his toe when the removable stereo detached itself at the wrong moment..
I've just done my first trackday at Donington with Apex. Something I'm going to sort out before I do another is towing eyes. They announced over the tanoy a few times that drivers must ensure they were in place before going on track because if you went into the gravel the marshals would tie the tow rope to anything they could, if an eye wasn't there, to get the track back open ASAP.
Thats a good idea about the tent, think I'll get one of them pop up ones and put stuff in there.
Definitely gonna have some tuition too and put my tow eye in.
After this first day, I'll be on the lookout for some dedicated track wheels that I can change at the circuits. Currently run 16" wheels but would like to get 15" for the track - is there anything I should be wary of apart from getting the same/near offset and fitments?
Definitely gonna have some tuition too and put my tow eye in.
After this first day, I'll be on the lookout for some dedicated track wheels that I can change at the circuits. Currently run 16" wheels but would like to get 15" for the track - is there anything I should be wary of apart from getting the same/near offset and fitments?
Ah thanks for the offer David, I'm actually gonna be at Brands though 
.
Just checked my tyres and the fronts are both down to 3mm so I think that will definitely be too low for an evening at Brands, especially as they will get a few 100 miles use before the actual day too. I've just heard lots of negative things about using reasonably new tyres because of movement in the tyre walls.
. Just checked my tyres and the fronts are both down to 3mm so I think that will definitely be too low for an evening at Brands, especially as they will get a few 100 miles use before the actual day too. I've just heard lots of negative things about using reasonably new tyres because of movement in the tyre walls.
Hi mate, I'm a Clio 172 Cup-owning track newbie, having done just two days at Brands. I wouldn't worry about getting seperate track wheels yet, you've got so much to learn and a long way to go, so I'd just run on standard road wheels and tyres. I've got SportContact 3's on mine, with a slight bit of side scrubbing, and I did 63 miles of hard driving on the last day. They should last ages yet. Two new road tyres, even 16's, are a lot cheaper than a complete 15 set with tyres.
I didn't even bring spare oil along last time because the Clio just doesn't seem to use any oil or coolant at all, fantastic cars. All I took along was a footpump and pressure gauge, and kept the pressures at 30psi all round, which seemed to work for me. Even having lowered the pressures they were soon back up to 36, so keep an eye on them.
I stuck a bit of tape over my foglights (they are glass and £50 a pop), but the headlights are plastic. I sprayed the tow eye bright yellow so it wouldn't be missed, and attached it the night before so I wouldn't forget it. Other than that, there's not really much to worry about. THE single most important thing is TUITION, TUITION, and TUITION! I had just four laps of it last time, and it completely transformed my driving. Overtaking Elises in my little chav chariot was very satisfying!
Enjoy it and just take it easy, over time you can start to think about upgrades etc, but the Clio is such a superb car out the box you should just enjoy it as it is. Hope you have a good time with it.
I didn't even bring spare oil along last time because the Clio just doesn't seem to use any oil or coolant at all, fantastic cars. All I took along was a footpump and pressure gauge, and kept the pressures at 30psi all round, which seemed to work for me. Even having lowered the pressures they were soon back up to 36, so keep an eye on them.
I stuck a bit of tape over my foglights (they are glass and £50 a pop), but the headlights are plastic. I sprayed the tow eye bright yellow so it wouldn't be missed, and attached it the night before so I wouldn't forget it. Other than that, there's not really much to worry about. THE single most important thing is TUITION, TUITION, and TUITION! I had just four laps of it last time, and it completely transformed my driving. Overtaking Elises in my little chav chariot was very satisfying!
Enjoy it and just take it easy, over time you can start to think about upgrades etc, but the Clio is such a superb car out the box you should just enjoy it as it is. Hope you have a good time with it.
Hollywood Wheels said:
Hi mate, I'm a Clio 172 Cup-owning track newbie, having done just two days at Brands. I wouldn't worry about getting seperate track wheels yet, you've got so much to learn and a long way to go, so I'd just run on standard road wheels and tyres. I've got SportContact 3's on mine, with a slight bit of side scrubbing, and I did 63 miles of hard driving on the last day. They should last ages yet. Two new road tyres, even 16's, are a lot cheaper than a complete 15 set with tyres.
I didn't even bring spare oil along last time because the Clio just doesn't seem to use any oil or coolant at all, fantastic cars. All I took along was a footpump and pressure gauge, and kept the pressures at 30psi all round, which seemed to work for me. Even having lowered the pressures they were soon back up to 36, so keep an eye on them.
I stuck a bit of tape over my foglights (they are glass and £50 a pop), but the headlights are plastic. I sprayed the tow eye bright yellow so it wouldn't be missed, and attached it the night before so I wouldn't forget it. Other than that, there's not really much to worry about. THE single most important thing is TUITION, TUITION, and TUITION! I had just four laps of it last time, and it completely transformed my driving. Overtaking Elises in my little chav chariot was very satisfying!
Enjoy it and just take it easy, over time you can start to think about upgrades etc, but the Clio is such a superb car out the box you should just enjoy it as it is. Hope you have a good time with it.
Nice to see a fellow clio sport owner mate haha!I didn't even bring spare oil along last time because the Clio just doesn't seem to use any oil or coolant at all, fantastic cars. All I took along was a footpump and pressure gauge, and kept the pressures at 30psi all round, which seemed to work for me. Even having lowered the pressures they were soon back up to 36, so keep an eye on them.
I stuck a bit of tape over my foglights (they are glass and £50 a pop), but the headlights are plastic. I sprayed the tow eye bright yellow so it wouldn't be missed, and attached it the night before so I wouldn't forget it. Other than that, there's not really much to worry about. THE single most important thing is TUITION, TUITION, and TUITION! I had just four laps of it last time, and it completely transformed my driving. Overtaking Elises in my little chav chariot was very satisfying!
Enjoy it and just take it easy, over time you can start to think about upgrades etc, but the Clio is such a superb car out the box you should just enjoy it as it is. Hope you have a good time with it.
Yep, dedicated track will wheels will be something for the future, just ordered two Michelin Pilot Sport 3's to be fitted on Tues.
Any good tips for Brands?
MMT said:
I've just done my first trackday at Donington with Apex. Something I'm going to sort out before I do another is towing eyes. They announced over the tanoy a few times that drivers must ensure they were in place before going on track because if you went into the gravel the marshals would tie the tow rope to anything they could, if an eye wasn't there, to get the track back open ASAP.
Surely you must have been told that in the brefing??Regards new/used tyres:
Don't worry about it too much. A couple of laps on track and they will be 'scrubbed'. The only thing I'd worry about would be the mould release, but that will be long gone. I've no idea why you'd think the sidewalls would change between being new/used? Maybe it's something I've totally overlooked but I've never heard of that. The main thing is just to keep an eye on your tyre pressures as they will climb when the tyres are hot.
Regards new wheels:
Why not get a 2nd set of standard road wheels? That way you can fit new rubber to them and make them your 'normal' road wheels, and keep the ones you take off as your 'track' set (so you can use them below 3mm, and even below 1.6mm so long as it's dry on track.) When the track ones are trashed (and the road ones are getting a bit low for the road) then chuck the old track tyres away, fit new rubber and they become your road set and the old road set becomes the track set.
Have a watch of some youtube videos to see where most people crash. The trickiest corner is the notorious Paddock Hill Bend which goes right and down at the end of the main straight. You brake over a crest and the apex is blind, plus the car is unweighted due to the hill. In a FF like the Clio watch out for lift off oversteer. The other tricky corner is Druids, which is the hairpin at the top of the hill rise after the Paddock drop. Coming off Druids you have a similar issue in that the track drops away on the exit of Druids and it's easy to lose the back end there if you get the line/power wrong on the exit.
General tips:
Main tip for track driving will be to keep an eye on your brakes. The engine etc will probably be fine, as will the tyres (so long as you don't slide about too much, try to keep tyre squeal to a minimum!) but the brakes will get really hot really quick. I don't know what pads/fluid etc you're using, but keep a 'nose' out for the smell they make when they over heat, and also keep a 'foot' on the pedal travel - when it starts getting soft, have a cool down lap and come in. If you don't then all of a sudden you'll have no pedal and no brakes, then you'll crash. So do a cool down lap and come in when it STARTS to feel off, not a while later! Also, don't put the handbrake on in the pits, as the pads will bind. Instead park in 1st gear.
HTH
Don't worry about it too much. A couple of laps on track and they will be 'scrubbed'. The only thing I'd worry about would be the mould release, but that will be long gone. I've no idea why you'd think the sidewalls would change between being new/used? Maybe it's something I've totally overlooked but I've never heard of that. The main thing is just to keep an eye on your tyre pressures as they will climb when the tyres are hot.
Regards new wheels:
Why not get a 2nd set of standard road wheels? That way you can fit new rubber to them and make them your 'normal' road wheels, and keep the ones you take off as your 'track' set (so you can use them below 3mm, and even below 1.6mm so long as it's dry on track.) When the track ones are trashed (and the road ones are getting a bit low for the road) then chuck the old track tyres away, fit new rubber and they become your road set and the old road set becomes the track set.
rsross said:
Any good tips for Brands?
Tips for Brands:Have a watch of some youtube videos to see where most people crash. The trickiest corner is the notorious Paddock Hill Bend which goes right and down at the end of the main straight. You brake over a crest and the apex is blind, plus the car is unweighted due to the hill. In a FF like the Clio watch out for lift off oversteer. The other tricky corner is Druids, which is the hairpin at the top of the hill rise after the Paddock drop. Coming off Druids you have a similar issue in that the track drops away on the exit of Druids and it's easy to lose the back end there if you get the line/power wrong on the exit.
General tips:
Main tip for track driving will be to keep an eye on your brakes. The engine etc will probably be fine, as will the tyres (so long as you don't slide about too much, try to keep tyre squeal to a minimum!) but the brakes will get really hot really quick. I don't know what pads/fluid etc you're using, but keep a 'nose' out for the smell they make when they over heat, and also keep a 'foot' on the pedal travel - when it starts getting soft, have a cool down lap and come in. If you don't then all of a sudden you'll have no pedal and no brakes, then you'll crash. So do a cool down lap and come in when it STARTS to feel off, not a while later! Also, don't put the handbrake on in the pits, as the pads will bind. Instead park in 1st gear.
HTH
You're definitely going about it the right way.
My first track day actually turned out to be a test day at Brands, by complete mistake. I was in a road-going Radical SR3 (that I'd already spun on the M20 going to the track), it was in the pouring rain and I was sharing the track with the likes of Tim Harvey in a GT3 RSR and other top drivers.
Needless to say I lasted one lap!
That was nearly six years ago. I was lucky that day, and I'm glad to say I've come along way and learnt a lot since then. Too many people are prepared to jump into something that is way beyond their ability and think they're a driving god. And those people inevitably cause accidents and stoppages, ruining it for everyone else.
I think trackdayers and TDOs have a lot more respect for proper track day/car/driving enthusiasts like you guys than young hot-heads with a big wallet and a little "talent".
My first track day actually turned out to be a test day at Brands, by complete mistake. I was in a road-going Radical SR3 (that I'd already spun on the M20 going to the track), it was in the pouring rain and I was sharing the track with the likes of Tim Harvey in a GT3 RSR and other top drivers.
Needless to say I lasted one lap!
That was nearly six years ago. I was lucky that day, and I'm glad to say I've come along way and learnt a lot since then. Too many people are prepared to jump into something that is way beyond their ability and think they're a driving god. And those people inevitably cause accidents and stoppages, ruining it for everyone else.
I think trackdayers and TDOs have a lot more respect for proper track day/car/driving enthusiasts like you guys than young hot-heads with a big wallet and a little "talent".
XLR Motorsport said:
I think trackdayers and TDOs have a lot more respect for proper track day/car/driving enthusiasts like you guys than young hot-heads with a big wallet and a little "talent".
Well it's my first 'proper' trackday up at Rockingham this weekend, and first time on as circuit in my own car. I hope I don't get put into the latter bracket despite not having much talent :s Doubt we'll get mistaken for young hot-heads tho - combined age of the two of us in the car is almost 115!Looking forward to it - definitely going to get instruction, just wondering - is it best to 'pre-book', or arrange on the day?
Trikster said:
Looking forward to it - definitely going to get instruction, just wondering - is it best to 'pre-book', or arrange on the day?
Best to pre-book. Get it for the morning if possible, but these slots fill up quickest as they are most popular. That way you get the rest of the day to put your lessons into practise. Up to you if you get it 'first thing' but I'd be tempted to do a session or two by myself to get a feel for things before going with the instructor. Up to you on that aspect though, do what you're comfortable with. Also, good TDO's will identify novices at the end of the safety briefing, and hold an additional extended briefing for track virgins, which is WELL worth listening to as it will save you learning some lessons the hard way!On the clio change the brake fluid to blue dot, or you suffer brake fade after a few laps.
its cheap and easy to do, and makes the world of difference.
Then do the brakes/pads (before next time or when you can be arsed) see Fred at BTM Performance for the correct ones
£188 for the disks and the pads, which are just excellent.
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?5364...
its cheap and easy to do, and makes the world of difference.
Then do the brakes/pads (before next time or when you can be arsed) see Fred at BTM Performance for the correct ones
£188 for the disks and the pads, which are just excellent.
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?5364...
Edited by joe_90 on Monday 25th July 12:06
Edited by joe_90 on Monday 25th July 12:09
mrmr96 said:
Trikster said:
Looking forward to it - definitely going to get instruction, just wondering - is it best to 'pre-book', or arrange on the day?
Best to pre-book. Get it for the morning if possible, but these slots fill up quickest as they are most popular. That way you get the rest of the day to put your lessons into practise. Up to you if you get it 'first thing' but I'd be tempted to do a session or two by myself to get a feel for things before going with the instructor. Up to you on that aspect though, do what you're comfortable with. Also, good TDO's will identify novices at the end of the safety briefing, and hold an additional extended briefing for track virgins, which is WELL worth listening to as it will save you learning some lessons the hard way!
.Come and say hello anyway and you can ask for me when you book if you like.
Steve H
Steve H said:
If this is for Sundays trackday with EasyTrack the time slots will probably only be booked on the day even if you pre-book but there should be no problem getting you in during the morning. I'd agree with mrmr in saying it's worth getting a feel of the layout first so we can get into a bit more detailed training rather than just telling you which bits go left and right .
Come and say hello anyway and you can ask for me when you book if you like.
Steve H
Cheers Steve - that's the one, I'll be the guy in the white Boxster Spyder tiptoeing round - will try and give you a shout - Rich..Come and say hello anyway and you can ask for me when you book if you like.
Steve H
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